Today the Nationalist Party won the parliamentary elections in Taiwan. My wife, who is Taiwanese, and her family are celebrating this terrific outcome.This welcome event also points up the frequent issues I have with much ARI commentary on topics on which empirical facts must be gathered. Taiwan is finally emerging from some of the most incompetent, bungling governance in recent memory. The following Op-Ed by Elan Journo shows just how unconnected to reality some of ARI's writers are:

The Real Freedom Fighters

The leaders of this pro-independence rally were members of Taiwan's Independence Party led by Chen Shui-Bian. Chen's two-term administration has been an absolute disaster including highlights such as enormous governmental largesse directed at Taiwan's domestic farmers, shutting down Taiwan's domestic nuclear power program and graft and corruption that would make Boss Tweed or Mayor Daley wince. In Journo's zeal to promote anything against the communist Chinese, he was in fact supporting socialist, environmentalist flower children to pour molasses into what was once one of the fastest growing economies in Asia.

These rallies did nothing to put a dent in Communist China. They did everything to help consolidate the power of the know-nothing Independence Party. Well the slow-as-a-turtle review process that helped drive Robert Tracinski out of ARI couldn't ferret out this turkey. Why am I not surprised?

Jim